Vienna's waste incineration sets an example for waste management at Zagreb conference

How can cities manage their waste in a sustainable way? This question, and in particular the role of waste incineration plants, was the focus of the conference "Waste 360° - Yesterday's waste, today's problem, tomorrow's raw material" in Zagreb on 29 February, where energy provider Wien Energie was able to present flagship projects such as the waste incineration plant Spittelau.

Cities should see waste less as a nuisance and more as an opportunity for innovation and a sustainable future. This was the tenor of the waste management conference in the Croatian capital. International experts discussed the benefits of waste incineration plants, among other things, with a view to future-oriented waste management. There are no such plants in Croatia yet, which is why they are viewed with scepticism by some members of the public. At the same time, the incineration plants in Celje (Slovenia) and Spittelau (Vienna), are seen as role models.

Waste-to-energy potential

Experts agreed that the biggest advantage of waste incineration plants is that they generate a lot of energy. In Vienna alone, such plants provide enough energy to supply a third of all households, according to a presentation by Alexander Kirchner , Head of Energy Production and Circular Economy at Wien Energie . A single waste incineration plant in Vienna could dispose of up to 250,000 tonnes of waste that would otherwise be non-recyclable. In Zagreb, there are still concerns, such as air pollution, which have been debated locally under the slogan "Waste incineration plant - opportunity or threat?" In fact, the current plant at Spittelau was built to strict environmental standards, a condition imposed by the artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser , who created the plant's iconic design.

Political guests also attended the conference, including the mayors of Split, Rijeka, Osijek and the deputy mayor of Zagreb, Luka Korlaet.